The reason your why is so important

Last week we talked about the 3 mistakes you make when you’re going after your health goals. I mentioned at the end that your why is a super important part of your success.

First of all, what is your ‘why’?

Basically, your why is the reason behind your goal. It’s the motivation that gets you off the couch when it raining.

It’s why you do what you do.

Like I mentioned last week, your why could be:

revenge on your ex that told you you weren’t attractive since you gained weight

fitting into your high school jeans for your 10 year reunion

making your mom eat her words after calling you fat at Easter dinner

These all could be your why, but they shouldn’t be.

Let’s dig into these why’s.

These points of motivation that I just mentioned are based in revenge. They give you the motivation to reach a goal so you can prove your ex, mom or high school mean girl wrong.

This might be enough to motivate you at first. Picturing their smug face when you show up as a hottie with a body might get you on the treadmill for a couple weeks. But what about when it starts to get hard?

And it will get hard.

Will your moms words get you up at 5 AM when it’s pouring rain and you’re pre-booked into a spin class?

When all your friends are going out for wine and pizza will you stay motivated just by picturing that mean girls face?

Maybe but probably not.

Revenge might enough to get you started but it’s not going to keep you trucking through the mud when shit gets tough.

By looking for revenge, by proving someone else wrong, you’re giving that other person power over your life.

Anytime you give up your power you are setting yourself up to lose.

Your mom won’t be there to cheer you on when you set a personal record on a 5K, but you’ll be there.

Your ex won’t be there to tell you you’re strong when you’re ready to throw in the towel, but you’ll be there.

You’re the only one who will be there every single time it gets tough.

You have got to learn to rely on yourself to motivate you.

What should your why be?

Your why should be something that is deeply personal.

Something that would actually scare you if it came true because you didn’t stick to your goal.

I want you to make time to get deep, down into the dirty parts of yourself and find out what really makes you tick.

What is really going to motivate you to do what you say you’re going to do.

I guarantee you it’s not outside approval that’s going to make you stick with your goals. It’s something deep down that drives you.

‘I will lose weight because my doctor says I won’t be able to conceive if I don’t’ … that’s a why.

‘I will start exercising regularly because my aunt passed away from a heart attack and it could be hereditary’ … that’s a why.

‘I will eat healthy food and enjoy it because my dad has health issues because of his weight and I don’t want to give my future children the stress I have’ … that’s a why.

My why… ‘I will eat clean and exercise 6 days a week because I want to live till 100 and play with my great-grandchildren.’

My Grandma is amazing. She regularly travels across the country to visit her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. Some of her great-grandkids are old enough to remember who she is after the unfortunate day she’s not with us anymore.

How many people can say they remember their great-grandparents?

Granted, my grandma had 9 kids when she was my age (I have 0) and some her kids had kids young but that doesn’t stop me. I still have control over my health and staying healthy till 100. I don’t just want to be 100, living in a care home for the last 30 years, I want to be independent, healthy and active at 100.

NOW THAT’S A WHY!

How to use your why

I want you to write your why down and stick it somewhere you see everyday.

It sounds cliche but that’s because that shit works. Seeing your why all the time will keep it at the front of your mind.

Anytime you’re feeling unmotivated, come back to your why.

When you can’t pull yourself off the couch, come back to your why.

If you’ve had a long ass day and you just can’t, come back to your why.

Why? ‘Cause that shit is what is going to keep you going during the hard times.

Pretty much everyone starts a new goal with so much excitement and then let’s the first set back derail all of their success. Knowing your ‘why’ is what keeps this from happening to you.

Knowing your ‘why’ is what will have you actually living a life that you love rather than falling back into the harmful patterns that got you here in the first place.

Reply below with your why and let’s dig into how you can make it the most effective part of your goal setting.